KEY POINTS:
Tasmania's floodwaters are easing, with affected residents now turning their attention to repairing the damage caused by the deluge.
Water levels created havoc across the state on Friday night and yesterday, blocking key arterial roads, cutting off bridges and damaging homes and businesses.
But, the crisis has now passed its peak and residents today are counting the cost of the damage.
Tasmania Police were due to provide an update on road closures later this morning.
Launceston police Inspector Darren Hopkins said the speed of the rising waters had caught residents in Branxholm and Derby by surprise.
He said a lost bridge, which will cost almost $1 million to rebuild, had blocked off the Tasman Highway, effectively cutting off Launceston traffic from the east coast.
Hopkins said 26 properties in Branxholm were affected by floodwaters, with a supermarket, a country pub, a service station and tearooms also copping unwelcome water.
In nearby Derby, four homes and a pub were affected by flooding.
Insurance inspectors were out in force, inspecting damaged buildings across the state.
At least 16 people reported to the recovery centre, with friends and relatives rallying around affected residents.
The heavy rain also caused a landslide at Mount Black, in the state's west, which blocked the Murchison Highway.
The highway was also cut by floodwaters at the Henty River, south of Zeehan.
In the state's south, three homes were saved from floodwaters by State Emergency Service (SES) sandbagging operations.
Meanwhile, the Tasmanian government has said it would deliver a rapid relief package for flood victims.
Premier Paul Lennon said the government would contact councils in affected areas to assess the damage and provide assistance as quickly as possible.
- AAP
